My daughter and I were leaving a KCRW members-only event at LACMA on a Saturday night and had some…read moretime before an 11:00 PM 70mm IMAX showing of The Odyssey at AMC Universal Cinema. Since they're open until 10:00 PM, we decided to stop by Masa of Echo Park for our very first visit.
We called in advance to go over our options, and the people on the phone both times were fantastic--kind, helpful, and empathetic. They clearly explained the house policy: in-house deep dish orders have a 9:00 PM cutoff. Since we wouldn't make it in time for that, we placed a deep dish order over the phone to go and planned to eat a thin-crust tavern-style pie in the restaurant.
For our dine-in pie, we ordered a tavern-style pizza split 1/2 Laguna (mozzarella, parmesan, and fresh basil) and 1/2 Baxter (pepperoni or veggie pepperoni, ricotta, house hot honey, mozzarella, parmesan, and fresh basil). We expected the Laguna side to come topped with fresh basil as described on the menu, but as you can see in the photos, we were served what was essentially just a plain 1/2 cheese pie on one side and 1/2 Baxter on the other.
When we pointed out to the server that the Laguna half was missing its basil, she insisted it was a Laguna and claimed the Laguna doesn't come with basil. The server was kind enough to bring us a side of fresh basil to add ourselves. After we left, we looked back to the menu description (which explicitly lists mozzarella, parmesan, and fresh basil). While we appreciated the quick fix of the plentiful of fresh basil she brought us, it was frustrating that neither the kitchen nor the server simply owned up to the oversight. A quick apology and accountability go a long way--it's truly the difference between a 3-star and a 4-star experience, and it's what builds trust with first-time diners.
Miscommunication aside, the thin, crisp tavern-style crust was great--it hit with nostalgic vibes like Monty's in Highland Park back in the 1980s. I'd easily come back just to grab a tavern-style pie to go. Strangely, the pizza cooled down surprisingly fast in the dining room. It did not hold the heat well.
As for the deep dish, we saved it for breakfast the next morning, and it was delicious. We ordered a small "All Meats" deep dish--which is more than enough food for two people. When they say "lots of meat," they mean it: there was a massive sausage patty stretching across the entirety of the top of the pie alongside plenty of pepperoni. The cornmeal masa crust adds incredible depth and flavor to the dough. To me, it holds its own right alongside Chicago icons like Pequod's or Lou Malnati's, though the cheese layer was lighter than other establishments.
The dining room is dark and a wee bit dated, giving off the feel of an old-school Italian spot (or a former Mexican restaurant converted into a pizzeria) with dark red and brown tones. The temperature inside was a bit on the cool side, but still comfortable. They sat the two of us in a generous booth easily large enough for five people. It's a huge space overall, offering a nice mix of tables, booths, and a large bar area. This corner of Echo Park has grown into a bustling food hub, but parking was easy on this night--there's a public lot behind the restaurant, though we lucked out with prime street parking just a block away (perks of arriving after 9:00 PM on a Saturday!).
We arrived at 9:16 PM and let the host and server know we had a deep dish to go and wanted to sit down for tavern style and drinks. They reminded us a couple of times that the deep dish had to remain to-go due to the late hour, which was no problem at all since we already knew the drill. (Though interestingly, a review from May 29th mentioned guests could call ahead to fire a deep dish pie to eat in-house upon arrival to offset the 45-minute bake time--that policy wasn't an option during our visit).
The initial phone service and host team were wonderful--they even gave us great local parking tips over the phone. However, the floor service faltered once the Laguna mix-up happened. The server also never introduced herself by name, and her defensive response to a basic menu correction left a somewhat sour note on an otherwise friendly night.
Masa nails the food--the tavern crust is top-tier and the deep dish is a meat-lover's dream. With a bit more accountability on the service side when kitchen mix-ups happen, it could easily be a regular go-to. For now, it's gonna be a grab and go place--keep the great food, skip the less than service.